at Sacramento Kings Tuesday February 23 10:00 pm

Aurora will be at this game. Should be an interesting recap.

Yeah, I'll be at this Pistons game and I am Psyched! I was holding out until the last minute hoping for a promotional ticket price and I just heard from the ticket rep I always deal with and he found me a $90 ticket for only $35. It's on the Sideline to the side of the basket with a great direct view of the Pistons Bench!

I haven't seen the Pistons play live since my sister and I drove to Portland from Bremerton last year to see them. We have all these great pictures of her in her Sheed jersey and me in my Ben jersey and we both remember how unwelcoming the Portland fans were to us. They kept saying things like "Hey, aren't you wearing the wrong jerseys? You're in Portland now." Really brilliant fan trash talk like that.

Anyway, it was a good memory and my sis always went to the Pistons game with me so I'm sure I'll miss her tomorrow night. She always said "You know we can go to the rest of these games and see Deron and Nash and Garnett, but there is just nothing like seeing the Pistons every year. I just feel more proud about the Pistons." I think that is kind of the essence of being a fan really. You just feel more proud about being identified with your team, when you wear their jersey, talk about them, stress about them, represent for them.

None of those Kings fans better give me any hard time tomorrow night! LOL. Because I was just lukewarm rooting for those Suns, Nuggets, Jazz and 76ers (well, except for AI). Tomorrow...on goes the Big Ben Authentic, the red white and blue mardi gras beads, the color coordinated nail polish, out come the crazy pom poms and if I can just think of a catchy thing to put on a sign...I might make one.

P.S. Have you guys that go to away Pistons games noticed alot of Pistons fans across the venues? There were alot of Pistons fans that showed up every year in jerseys and Pistons regalia at the Seattle games. It's always surprising to me all the way out here on the West Coast.

Have a great time and cant wait to read your recap.

It was invented when Golfing became more popular than Drive-In movies.

Today is Tuesday????????????????

Dang, I missed the chat. What a pathetic fan I am...

I started running for the TV screaming about having forgotten a Pistons game. Fortunately, my daughter was able to calm me down by assuring me it was only Monday. But I will probably have nightmares over this.

Just think about some of your favorite things (Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter, Micheal Curry, etc.) and your nightmares will go away.

Yes. The Pistons get a lot of support on the road. I was in Boston last year for a Pistons/Celtics game and there were several Piston fans (besides myself) in my section alone. I even remember hearing a "Deee-troit basketball!" chant in the lower bowl during the second half.

On the subject, I'll be at the Knicks game (MSG) on March 3rd and the Celtics game on March 15th. Probably won't see me from where I'll be sitting though. lol

There are always two to three thousand Piston fans at the Clipper games trying to out duel the clipper fans....of course we win every year so at the end of the game Piston fans are still their cheering and yelling at each other while the Clipper fans are in the parking lot....

Not sure what will happen on Wednesday but I will be there camera in hand.

Hunter. Once helped us win a series vs. Miami. Hunter helped the Lakers win a 'ship too.

Curry was once a fan favorite, including mine, who could come in at backup shooting guard and really hustle out there.

Atkins - nothing good to say about the guy directly. But it does remind me that once, for a very brief time, Atkins was out of the rotation in Carlisle's first year. Damon Jones and Dana Barros were set to be our point guards for that year except Dana went out injured (the 2nd time), letting Atkins back in the rotation. Dana Barros, now there was a short guy, no taller than Atkins, who could defend.

That season, Atkins ended up being our starting point guard for the playoffs, but that was a mistake. There was quite a stretch that season where Jones and Atkins simply split the point guard duties 24 minutes each.

As mistakes go though, this was a minor one, as neither Atkins nor Jones could stop anyone from dribbling past them to the hoop. At least Jones could show big around the basket, loved to play full court D, was great on defensive rotations, was great teaming with Jon Barry to find ways to feed Corliss in the post.

That year, we won 50 games despite playing a no - defense playing Chucky Atkins way too much, and letting a washed up M. Curry continually give up points to the other team while him and Ben Wallace were a horrid pair on the offensive end.

Here is how that season should have went: Corliss should have been starting, while Rodney White, immature or not, should have been getting some time as his backup. Carlilse refused to play zone that year, even though Rodney White only knew zone. Kind of left him out. Brian Cardinal was also on the roster that year and would have made a fine backup to Corliss if we had let him play. (I have heard that was Dumars not letting Cardinal play that year - don't know if its true or not.)

And we could have played Zelly more, and played Cliff Robinson at small forward, the position he was playing just the year before.

Our best group of starters would have basically been our bench that year, which was the most productive bench in the league.

Damon Jones and Jon Barry in the backcourt feeding Corliss and Zelly in the post. Cliff Robinson rounding out the five, setting all the picks, playing monster interior D, and knocking down outside shots along with Jones and Barry to keep the middle honest.

For the bench, we needed to find a point guard to backup Jones, and release Atkins. Then Stackhouse and Ben Wallace. White backing up small forward. Alexander and Cardinal as spare bigs.

Bout bed time. Good night.

I think I helped...